After-Life
by Katia
Summary: my first fic, thanks to all who reveiwed (so far) Title inspired by No-I-Don't-Know-Who


Untitled as of yet   
Any suggestions?  
  
AN: *~*~*~* MEANS A FLASHBACK.  
THIS IS MY FIRST FIC. REPEAT THIS IS MY FIRST FIC! BEWARE.  
  
Hermione Granger sat in her office at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. At 37 she seemed to be very well off in the world. She taught Arithmancy, her favourite subject when she was at school, was well liked by her colleagues (except for the elderly Severus Snape) and students. She was generally happy but today she sat in her window office, staring at a photo of 3 laughing teenagers, all waving and horsing around the frame. She sighed, that was so many years ago. She wondered were Harry was and now and whether he was even alive for that matter. How long had it been since she had last seen him? At least 17 years, she had last seen him when she and Ron were 20. Ron... and his wife Rebekah busy with their 2nd child, Timothy. Bet he doesn't remember what today is she thought bitterly.   
  
Seventeen years ago today Harry had had to leave to find Voldemort, and kill him once and for all. Does he even miss him? She asked herself. Why did it have to be me? I should move on. I shou- 3 knocks on the door stunted her thoughts.   
  
Stuffing the framed picture into a desk drawer she said, "Yes?"   
  
"Hermione, it's me, Ron."  
  
"Oh! Ron, Yes of course, come in." relief came to her, so he did care.  
  
"Hey." He said simply as he closed the door. "How're you holding up?"  
  
She shrugged, surprised that he actually remembered. "OK, I guess." She lied. "You?"  
  
"Not so good" He answered sadly.  
  
Hermione was taken aback. Ron was never one to show emotion, only when he was infuriated by something Malfoy said, but that was understandable.   
  
"Rebekah doesn't know what today is and she got a bit ticked when I was just moping a bit around the house, so I went for a walk and just kind of ended up here." He informed her.  
  
"All the way from Hogsmeade?" Hermione inquired.   
  
"Yeah... so be honest this time. How're you holding up?"   
  
She sighed yet again. Ron was always able to see right through her.   
  
"Badly, I woke up last night crying. Aurora doesn't know either. I just hope she doesn't catch me at some point or another crying, I hate for her to see me like that, weak and snivelling like a fool."   
  
Aurora was the product of Harry and Hermione's last night together. The night before he had to leave. She had made Ron Godfather, the thought that Harry would have wanted that her only guide.   
  
"There's nothing wrong with crying, Hermione." Ron told her.  
  
"I know but I just want to seem strong for her, you know?"   
  
"Yeah..." Ron looked like he was thinking something through before doing it.  
"Does she know anything about him? Does she even know who her father is?" He said a stern look coming to his eyes.  
  
"No" Her answer was barely audible.  
  
"Hermione!" Ron exclaimed making her flinch. "She's got to know! She's going to find out sooner or later. What if she hears it from somebody else, eh? She'd be hurt beyond belief. She's 17 years old for Christ's sake!" He stopped to breathe "I'm sorry." He said quite a bit calmer "it's just that...she's got to know Hermione. What if, by some miracle he shows up?" He asked quietly looking imploringly at Hermione. He knew it was a tough subject for her, he hated doing this to her but it was time Aurora knew.   
  
Hermione stood there, tears welling in her eyes, knowing exactly what to say to Ron.  
  
"S-s-she's only 17. I'm planning on telling her when she's ready. When she's an adult. When she can handle it her own way-"  
  
"Hermione-" Ron interjected "She's going to be hurt that you never told her before. If he shows up before you tell her- one look at each other and they'll know."   
  
A tense silence followed. Hermione quickly composed a few words in the silence and said, "I never told her anything about him, she only knows what everybody else knows. She never asked and I never told. The reason I did that was so she would have no bitter feelings toward her Father when he came back."   
  
Ron looked as though he was going to say something against his better judgement.  
  
"Hermione-" he began hesitantly. "I think you should move on. It's been 17 years, Harry's not going to come back accept it, just move on-"  
  
"No" she said defiantly  
  
"Yes, I've seen you throw 17 years away for a dead man-"  
  
"Get out" she said in her deadliest voice. Ron immediately recoiled, he knew Hermione's temper well.  
  
"How dare you, his Best friend! No just - just get out, let me grieve in peace, go to your Rebekah " she spat the name out like venom "and be the perfectly happy, normal family you are. Leave. She said the last sentence with spite. Truth was she was jealous of Ron for not being like her. He had been able to move on, she wasn't.  
  
"Hermione-" Ron said hurriedly "I'm sorry, I didn't mean-"   
  
"Out." Came the cold answer.  
  
Ron left knowing he'd never be able to talk though to her once he had infuriated her. The anger leaving as quickly as it had come, Hermione began to cry harder and longer than she had ever before. She lapsed into memories that only the past could bring.  
  
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*  
  
"Hermione? Hermione? Hermione, wake up!"  
  
"What?" She said sleepily   
  
"I love you." Came the simple remark.   
  
"Harry! Don't tell me you woke me up just to say that!" She said faking exasperation.  
  
"Yes, as a matter of fact I did." Harry said looking adoringly at her... those eyes.  
  
"Only you." She smiled and kissed him.   
  
Later that morning... in front of the fireplace...  
  
"Why they had to pick Floo powder, we can only guess. God I hate this." Harry said looking bitterly at the fire.  
  
"Hate what? Saying good bye or going by Floo powder?" Hermione asked innocently.  
  
"Both" he said looking at her. "I'm sorry I have to leave Hermione but I have to-"  
  
"You don't have to explain" She said putting her fingers on his lips, and he smiled.  
  
Kissing her fingers he said," I'll try to get back as quick as possible..."   
  
"Just do what you have to do and get back safely." Hermione said.  
  
"I will." He hugged her around the waist "I'm sorry."  
  
"For what?"   
  
"Going"   
  
"I am too."  
  
Green flames suddenly rushed out of the fireplace.  
  
"I have to go."  
  
"Harry be careful. And come back."  
  
He hugged he tighter and Hermione got the impression that he really didn't want to go alone.   
  
He smiled mischievously and kissed her deeply. How she had relished that kiss. Then ran through the fire. They never said Good-Bye.  
  
**********************************  
  
"Hermione- you're breaking my hand." Ron said in a strangled voice.  
  
"For once Ron I don't care, if you knew the pain I'm in now you'd be crushing someone's hand too." Hermione said scathingly through gritted teeth.   
  
Hermione was in labour going to the hospital, Ron by her side.  
  
"OK Hermione try to breathe."  
  
Eleven and a half hours later...  
  
"It's a girl!" Ron announced to the rest of his family. Fred and George whooped. Ginny squealed; Mr. and Mrs. Weasley hugged. Charlie and Bill shook hands with Ron.  
  
"What did you name her?" Mrs. Weasley asked a very tired Hermione.  
  
"Aurora, it means ray of light." Hermione answered  
  
"That's a beautiful name, Harry would have been proud." Ginny said  
  
"He is proud." Hermione corrected   
  
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*  
  
Hermione sat in her desk chair, back in the present clutching the same framed picture to her heart.   
  
"Mom?" Came a tentative voice from the doorway.   
  
Hermione was jolted from her thoughts. "What?" She said sitting up sill clutching the picture.  
  
"Are you OK?" Aurora said peering at her mother with a worried expression.  
  
"I'm fine Aurora go back to class." Hermione said terrified that her daughter had seen her crying.   
  
"I would be in class now but the Teacher didn't show up so I decided to check up on her. So what's bothering you so much that it's got you crying? And don't say nothing because this has to be the first time I've ever seen you cry." Aurora said   
  
"What? Oh! I'm so sorry Aurora; oh I'm an idiot-"  
  
"It's OK I told the class you weren't feeling up to snuff and the lesson was cancelled and you are not an idiot" Aurora answered not skipping a beat. "So... what's bothering you?"  
  
"Nothing I'm just -"  
  
"Bull, I heard you crying last night and caught you again now so what's wrong?"  
  
Hermione was so unnerved by this news that the tears running down her face ran dry.  
  
"Mom," Aurora said desperately looking into her Mother's eyes. "Tell me-please."  
  
Hermione looked into Aurora's eyes, the constant reminder of Harry. Those brilliant green eyes that saw so much more than the normal eye... That jet black hair that inherited the same untidiness and bushiness from both of them (it was a wonder how the girl got her hair stick straight and glossy every morning)... She had Hermione's crooked-smile with (thank God) Harry's teeth, straight and perfect. Hermione felt herself losing it. It was just too much. Hermione felt her grip leave the sliver frame of the picture and the glass shattered all over the floor.  
  
"Oh!" The sound jolted Hermione. "I'm sorry you had to see me like this Aurora." Trying to pick up the picture and hide it at the same time. Aurora was faster (she had inherited Harry's Quidditch talent).   
  
"Mom, what's this?" She laughed "Is this Uncle Ron and You? How cute! What year was this?"  
  
"Fifth" Hermione said listlessly making grab at the picture.   
  
"Who's this?" Aurora had spotted Harry, surely she would see the resemblance. "Mom...?"   
  
Hermione had frozen. Aurora was looking at the picture harder. "Is that Harry Potter? I didn't know you knew him."  
  
Hermione breathed again, she knew what Aurora was trying to do, it was obvious, she was trying to get her Mother's attention off what was making her cry. She wasn't succeeding, considering that Hermione was crying over Harry-discussing him wasn't going to help much.  
  
One thought was stuck in Hermione's head... What if she noticed the resemblance? She had defiantly inherited the tall, skinny gate from Harry, only to be filled out by Hermione's curves during adolescence, the green eyes and hair were really noticeable in the picture. It didn't seem like Aurora had noticed it-until-.  
  
"I didn't know Potter had green eyes what a coincidence, no?" Hermione detected what could be a bite of suspicion in her voice. Hermione decided to act stupid.  
  
"Really? I didn't know that. I always thought he had brown." Hermione said inconvincibly.  
  
"Well, I have Charms next. Best be going." Aurora said in a falsely cheerful voice. "Are you going to be OK?"   
  
"Yes, I will be. Have fun in Charms; I hear Prof. Skyille is rather good."  
  
"Oh yes and handsome." Aurora said with a mischievous grin. "See you."   
  
Aurora left, feeling very confused. It was unnerving to see her mother in pieces like that. What could have Uncle Ron said or done? Why would have her mother crying like that? Did it have to do with that picture?   
  
Obviously she thought heading for the Charms corridor. Halfway there she thought, No, I don't feel like learning That was something, Aurora Granger the smartest witch of the year didn't want to learn? She just felt like curling up on her bed and thinking.   
Drawing the scarlet hangings around the her bed she thought about his eyes... Was it just her or were they the same shape and tone of green? There was defiantly something her Mother wasn't telling her... The way she just froze when she had picked up the picture. Like she was afraid. Aurora thought it had to have something to do with the famous Harry Potter. Harder to shake off was the terrified look in her Mother's eyes, like she didn't want her to know something.  
  
Without warning Aurora felt a stab of anger. Did her mother think that she was stupid? Aurora knew she had a Father some where but out of respect for her Mother she had never asked. After seeing that picture, those eyes she knew. Harry Potter must be her Father.  
  
Where was he? Did he not care? Did he know? Was it a one-night stand? The thought of that possibility sickened her. Had he abandoned them? Was he even alive? These questions followed her into slumber. She dreamt of meeting her Father, whoever it may be.  
  
"Aurora! Wake up!" Rosanglina Wood said trying for the 3rd time to wake up her best friend.   
  
"Huh what?" Aurora said sitting bolt upright. She smiled when she saw who it was.  
  
"You missed dinner so I snuck you a sample plate from the kitchens; the House-elves were really generous." Rosanglina said giving a plate full of roast turkey, mashed potatoes, buttered peas and what not to Aurora.   
  
"Oh, thanks Rose your a savoir!" She said sitting up. "Whoa the Elves were generous weren't they?" She smiled inwardly at the thought of what her Mother would say, she wasn't very fond of Hogwarts having House-elves.   
  
"So. Both you and your Mom sick?" Rose (as she liked to be called) asked as Aurora answered the call of her growling stomach.   
  
"No, she was upset about something so I went to go see her." Aurora said swallowing a massive amount of roast turkey.  
  
"Your Mom was upset?" Rose said disbelievingly. "Why? That doesn't sound like her at all."  
  
"Yeah, I know I tried to get it out of her but she wouldn't tell me." Aurora said, she liked the way she could just let it all out with Rose. She felt so confident that Rose wouldn't tell anyone her secrets (despite the fact that Rose was a huge gossip). Rose was all Aurora wanted in a friend, she was loyal, kind, considerate and kept her word. "So I came up here because I didn't feel like going to Charms-" Rose gave a very (very fake) loud gasp. "I guess I just dozed off. Don't tell anyone my Mother was upset."  
  
"Sure, you know I saw your Uncle Ron leaving, do you think it has anything to do with that?"  
  
Aurora took a gulp of Pumpkin juice to dislodge the roast turkey from her throat.   
  
"No, she already said no but I think I'm going to drop in on her to see how she's doing." She said, finishing the last of the peas. "Thanks, I'll be right back."  
  
"Right. I'm getting ready for bed." Rose yawned, heading for the bathroom. "'Night."  
  
"'Night." Making sure that Rose was in the bathroom, Aurora slipped her Invisibility Cloak from under her mattress. It was a nifty little thing that her Mother had given to her in her First Year.  
  
Creeping into the Teachers Foyer she had second thoughts about confronting her Mother about who her Father really was. I'm sure she'll tell me... wouldn't she? All in all she felt it was quite callous of her to do that to her mother when she was so upset. Heading back to Gryffindor Tower she thought Of course she will  
  
Seven and a half months later...  
  
"Aurora! Will you turn that music down?!?" Hermione yelled concentrating on sewing the ribbons on her Pointe shoes. It was 2 weeks into the Summer Holiday and Hermione couldn't be more stressed out. She had a performance to attend in 2 hours, the ribbons and elastic weren't sown on her shoes yet, she had more pin-pricks than the satin did, her hair was not cooperating in to a bun and Aurora had the music blasting in her room.   
  
"Sorry, Mom!" Came Aurora's muffled call, just as the doorbell rang.   
  
"Get that, will you? Please?" Hermione tried to blink back the tears as she stuck herself with the needle again.  
  
"Yeah, I'm getting it right now." The music was off now and Hermione heard Aurora going down the stairs for the door.  
  
Hermione could hear 2 voices, one ,her daughter and the second a man's... could it be Ron?  
  
"Mom there's a man her to see you..." Aurora said coming into the room.  
  
"Aurora! Can't you see I'm busy?" Hermione said pushing her Pointe shoe away.  
  
"I know but he really seemed like it was urgent and well... he's waiting in the living room." Aurora said hesitantly.   
  
"Did he give a name?" said a rather annoyed Hermione  
  
"Yeah... um HJP?" Aurora offered  
  
Rolling her eyes Hermione went down the stairs. She turned in to the living room and stopped dead at the person she saw standing in front of her.  
  
He was a rather tall man, with a thin kind of build, his hair looked like it hadn't seen a comb in years (though it was obvious that he had tried to tame it) and when he turned around fiery green eyes looked at her, amazed.  
  
"H-H-Harry?" Hermione said faintly.  
  
"Hermione?" He said.  
  
They looked at each other for a long time, taking in the differences 17 years had had done to each other.  
  
Hermione ran to him, throwing her arms around his neck. She noticed he was very thin.  
  
"You came back." she said as she burst into tears.  
  
"'Course I did. D'you think I'm going to leave the love of my life forever.?"  
  
"Oh, I love you Harry, you know I never said it back that night?"  
  
Harry smiled, "And I you."   
  
"So what happened?" Hermione said containing herself. She wanted to know everything that happened since they had last seen each other.  
  
"Everything, I got rid of Voldemort a few years after I left but I was caught by Death-Eaters and put into their version of Azkaban.-"  
  
"No..." Hermione said dreading what was coming.  
  
"Yes, Dementors everywhere. I think I spent half the time knocked out. I taught myself how to conjure a Patronus wand less and was able to fight a bit. The only thing that kept my going in there was you, Hermione."  
  
"I missed you so much, you have no idea, Harry but-"  
  
"You gave up and settled down?" Harry intercepted looking in the direction of the staircase where there was a great probability that Aurora was listening in. "What's her name?"  
  
"Aurora and I never did."  
  
"That's a beautiful name. You never what?"  
  
"Settled down."  
  
Harry looked a bit confused. "So whose is she?"  
  
"Yours." Hermione said looking at Harry   
  
Harry looked taken aback.  
  
"She's my-my daughter?" Harry looked up the stairs where it was now obvious that Aurora was eavesdropping.   
  
"Yes."  
  
"She's beautiful."  
  
Hermione moved in line with the stairs and saw Aurora standing at the top of the stairs looking down at her parents, positively beaming.  
  
  
  
  
  
A/N  
Hey, Hello and What's up? This is my first Fic so either show so pity and give a nice, fake review or be bitchy and flame (note: flames will be used to keep me and my cat warm during the winter season) I'll say sorry in advance, titles are not my best thing, any suggestions? I'm not known for extravagant titles. This really sucks. I'm known for using (and liking!) very strange names such as Aurora(If you hate the name Aurora, change it your self.) and Skyille (I don't know where this came from, I came up with it during Math) or spelling normal names weirdly (Rebekah)This is really good in my eyes, but hey I wrote it.I didn't know how to end it!!! Urgh... that's just me get used to it or fuck off, I don't care. R/R Thanxs  
  
Oh yeah I started writing this before GoF and the name Aurora was not inspired by Auror just for your FYI.  
  
Diclaimer: If they were mine I'd be busting my ass writing HP5.  
  



End file.
